It has been awhile since we have talked about global warming and overall climate change. There are lots of areas that have upcoming problems....some closer than others. Folks in New York and Florida anywhere near the ocean may want to consider selling before too long.
Saturday, March 14, 2015
F-35 Fiasco Marches On
The latest news about the nearly a decade overdue and obscenely over budget F-35 is in, and if anything it is getting much worse. The gurgling on this drain has just about stopped...the only thing remaining is only last, final belch as the whole thing disappears (unfortunately not without taking a lot of tax dollars straight into the under-performing defense industry with it).
For the latest on this plane that can't fly, shoot, keep the pilot safe (or even necessarily in control of the aircraft), here is a summary of the main problems, and here are the details, both courtesy of the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) which has been watching this expensive, slow-moving disaster unfold.
If you haven't been following this since the beginning, this is the first Pentagon weapons program that was purchased lock, stock, and barrel with a blank check based essentially on a bunch of notes scribbled on the back of napkin. The defense contractors sold a Republican-dominated Congress on the concept of "trust us - we will design it as we go along and we will make you a great airplane".
Of course, receptive (of campaign contributions) Senators and Representatives of both parties thought that sounded like a good deal. Oddly enough, one of the things the Pentagon agreed to in this unprecedented mess was that the defense contractors did not have to prove its combat readiness before approval of an initial production rate of 57 aircraft annually.
For those with Neiman Marcus Christmas budgets, there may be some very pricey lawn ornaments available this year.
For the latest on this plane that can't fly, shoot, keep the pilot safe (or even necessarily in control of the aircraft), here is a summary of the main problems, and here are the details, both courtesy of the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) which has been watching this expensive, slow-moving disaster unfold.
If you haven't been following this since the beginning, this is the first Pentagon weapons program that was purchased lock, stock, and barrel with a blank check based essentially on a bunch of notes scribbled on the back of napkin. The defense contractors sold a Republican-dominated Congress on the concept of "trust us - we will design it as we go along and we will make you a great airplane".
Of course, receptive (of campaign contributions) Senators and Representatives of both parties thought that sounded like a good deal. Oddly enough, one of the things the Pentagon agreed to in this unprecedented mess was that the defense contractors did not have to prove its combat readiness before approval of an initial production rate of 57 aircraft annually.
For those with Neiman Marcus Christmas budgets, there may be some very pricey lawn ornaments available this year.
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